


Louise returns

by Number_Twelve



Series: The Cat Returns Oneshots and others [11]
Category: Neko no Ongaeshi | The Cat Returns
Genre: Again, Baron and Louise are painfully dramatic, Gen, Inspired by comments on Discord, Mentions of The Cat in boots, please enjoy, thanks for reading, the cat returns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24473878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Number_Twelve/pseuds/Number_Twelve
Summary: Haru finally gets to meet Louise, who has come back from a long trip to France (mainly to get away from the Bureau for a while...) to see how the Bureau has been progressing, and is Baron's ex-girlfriend. Little does she know that the creations in question don't get along very well...Hint: A massive dramatic streak
Relationships: Baron Humbert von Gikkingen/Louise, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen/Yoshioka Haru
Series: The Cat Returns Oneshots and others [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740934
Kudos: 14





	1. Louise returns (part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> This were the sentences that inspired this new fanfic:  
> Raiden: "there's totally a part of my brain that now goes, "that pause after Haru is taken by the cats is Baron and Muta both thinking, 'wait but Louise isn't here!' before realizing their client was just kidnapped " & "something just occurred to me. TCR only covers two days, and Haru literally only meets the Bureau after school on the second day--late afternoon, in fact (we see the sunset! Baron uses it for his light show!) I don't remember anything to suggest Louise is missing in TCR--she might've stepped out for a grocery run or something, and since we don't get to see the Refuge after the rooftop scene..."  
> Glitterowl!: "And there would have been multiple costume changes! Because baron and louise would be trying to outdo eachother" & "I bet baron and louise have bragging matches"  
> Thanks to these two for giving me these ideas! Honestly, just BRILLIANT! 🤩🤩🤩 
> 
> Thanks to everyone else who has left kudos and feedback on the previous works, such as guest Merchant, Catsafari, QueenHeadphones, Cosmic_Chaos_24, Dorothy3733, and all those other anonymous guests! Thank you, guys! 
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy this chapter!

The Bureau was strangely quiet. Haru sat on the emerald green couch next to Muta (who was somehow keeping quiet for once) her hands clasped. Toto was perched on the railing, head tucked under a wing as he slept. Baron was sitting at his armchair sipping tea (the creation wasn't wearing his coat and top hat, leaving him in the red vest and light grey trousers), emerald green eyes looking down at the infamous, well dressed white cat sitting on the other armchair. Louise sat up rigidly, her back straight, holding a teacup. She was wearing a pretty, red dress to match her parasol and sun hat. Her sapphire blue eyes were calm, but even Haru could see the sternness behind them. Baron cleared his throat.

"How was your trip to France?" he asked politely.

"Oh, it was fine." she said, taking another sip. Her eyes glittered and they flickered to Haru and back to Baron. "Nice weather, lovely view and all. But I came here because I wanted to see how the Bureau was doing. Dear, Haru, was it?" she asked the brunette.

"Y- Yes." Haru said with a cough. Louise smiled. 

"Haru. Spring." she mused. "It suits you, dear. Now, would you care to tell me how you came to join the Bureau? I never knew that Baron would admit a human. Seems like times have changed." she chuckled to herself. Baron's ears twitched with something that Haru interpreted as annoyance. 

"Uh, I met the Bureau a couple of years ago. I got kidnapped by the Cat King." Haru quickly said, before Baron got a chance to open his mouth. "They saved me from becoming a cat for the rest of my life." 

"Ah, the Cat Kingdom. They have a tendency of messing with other worlds." Louise said with a cold smile. The Creation's eyes unsettled Haru, but she didn't pull her gaze away from hers.

"So I have heard." the brunette said, smiling back.

"And how has business been going this year, Baron?" Louise turned her gaze onto the other Creation. 

"Smoothly. We've had a few bumps, but other than that, things have gone well for the Bureau." he said. Louise remained pensive for a moment as she took another sip from her cup. 

"And have you dealt with any Yetis lately?" she asked.

"No." Baron replied. 

"I met a couple during the winter. Such badly mannered creatures, I have to say. But they were setting off fear in alpinists and I had to go see them. You remember the Cat in Boots? He came with me as well, and it took some time convincing them to move away. Of course, it ended with me having to use a little magic to convince them." she chuckled. 

"Yetis?" Baron said, "We had to deal with Legolas and Ghimly. They are a hardy pair; I have to say. And I was turned into a cat by a magi." 

"Really? I happened to meet The Gevaudan's beast. It tried to eat me, but my parasol came in quite helpful. Let's just say that that creature had to suffer a jab in the eye." 

"Well, remember that time when I had to deal with Frankenstein?" 

Haru exchanged a look with Muta. She somehow knew that they were having what she could call a "bragging match". The over-weight cat rolled his eyes at her with a look that said Get used to it. It happens every visit and Haru couldn't help but imagine at what lengths it could get to. She audibly coughed into the back of her hand and when the other two continued with their match, she coughed louder. Baron looked at her with a worried frown on his face.

“Haru, are you okay?”

“Yes, I just chocked a little on my tea.” She gave a tiny nod in their direction and gave him a pointed look. He cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed.

“Does anyone else want any more-?” the vinyl player suddenly turned on, and the Bureau grew quiet as a message played.

“This is the Cat King’s advisor, Natori, reporting over to the Bureau. We found the books you were looking for. And, on your way here, could you bring some fish crackers requested by the King?” The message replayed and Louise gave Baron a sideways look.

“Are these the cases you are involved in, Baron?” she asked.

“Wha- No, no. This was just a minor _part_ of a case, Louise.” Baron explained.

“Ah. I understand.” She said politely. “So, are we going to pay a short visit to the Cat Kingdom? It’s been such an _awfully_ long time since I last saw Yuki.”

“We will leave in a short time.” Baron said.

“Perfect. I am going to go dress into something more _practical_ for the occasion.” Louise said, getting up. She walked to the far wall of the Bureau and a door faded into existence. She opened it and stepped into the other room, closing it behind her. The Bureau seemed to finally relax. Toto lifted his head.

“Is this a good idea, Baron?” the crow asked (he hadn’t been sleeping after all).

“Even if we told her not to come, she would still do so.” Baron said in a flat tone.

“She was… nice.” Haru said. Muta raise an eyebrow but didn’t comment on this. Baron walked over to the coat hanger and unhooked his cane, coat and top hat, pulling the latter two on. Louise emerged only a moment after, dressed in a stunning sky-blue dress with yellow frills and details that set off her eyes, with a blue sun hat with a banana yellow bow to match it. Her parasol had changed as well to match her clothes. She stood stiff and straight.

“Well? Are we leaving?” she asked, leaning her weight on the parasol.

“As soon as I set up the portal.” Baron said.


	2. Louise returns (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Louise and Baron argue about the ways to make tea, Haru, Muta and Toto begin to regret accompanying them, and in which Lune and Yuki regret asking for the crackers.

Haru brushed strands of her hair away from my eyes as she looked at the familiar meadow of The Cat Kingdom. The tall grass danced around her, and the sky was nearly clear except for a few clouds here and there. Otherwise, the weather was lovely. Cats were going about their cat business [Get it? Like, monkey business?… I am terrible at jokes.], walking around in the warm sunlight that fell on the land. It was a beautiful sight.

"Baron, for goodness' sake! Couldn't you have landed us in the _palace_? My dress is going to get dirty this way," Louise said, looking down at the slightly muddy floor. Muta, Haru and Toto exchanged knowing looks.

"I'm sorry, but it also happened last time." Baron said. Louise scowled, pulling up her skirts so they didn't touch the ground.

"Then, Baron, you have to get better with your magic." she said, starting forward. Some of the cats who had been watching them actually shrunk back from the haughty Creation as she walked by, followed by the Bureau.

The walk to the path that led to the King's palace was quiet, excepting the murmuring if Louise. Toto circled the air above them in lazy circles. Haru noticed that Baron looked stiffer than before and she hurried to his side, brushing the Creation's hand. Those green eyes moved down to look at her and she smiled reassuringly. Baron couldn't help the corners of his mouth tilting upwards at this. They reached the palace in little time, the soldiers saluting them (or perhaps it was Louise, who looked like a war general by the composed way she was keeping herself in). One of the soldiers outside the doors stepped forward.

"The Bureau, King Lune awaits for your arrival at the library." the cat said. Baron was about to say something, but Louise was quicker than him.

"Thank you. Could you show the way up to the library?" she asked, much to Baron's annoyance.

"There's no need. We have already been there." the other creation quickly said. The guard nodded and moved aside to let them through. Baron leaded the way, closely followed by Louise. Toto swooped in through the great doors and Muta and Haru slipped inside before they thudded closed behind them.

Haru thought that the palace was like a mace. There were passages and corridors almost _everywhere_. Baron leaded them up flights of stairs that seemed to go on for ever, along corridors that had openings to other coutless rooms... Haru was grateful that she had gotten rescued by the Bureau. Just imagine waking up in the middle of the night and dawning on the realization that you need to use the bathroom. They finally reached a door that had the word 'library' carved above the top of the frame. They entered to find Lune and Yuki already inside. Both cats looked up when the Bureau came in.

"Baron!" Lune said happily. "I got you the list of books you asked for."

"Perfect." Baron said, walking over to the desk. There was a pile of five books, each bigger and dustier than the last, on top of it. Louise walked over with a criticizing aura about her.

" _A Cat's guide to brewing tea_?" she asked, looking at one of the books. "Why would you need that if everyone knows that Lemon goes best with tea?" 

"Lemon?" Baron echoed, "Louise, I am afraid that I must insist that milk is the only thing that goes well along with tea, excepting biscuits." 

Muta groaned. He walked over to the table and grabbed the books. Haru hurried over, gave the other two cat a quick hug, and gave them the fish crackers they had requested.

"We wouls love to stay, but World War three will start if we don't get those two back to the sanctuary and get them some tea." Toto apologized. Lune laughed nervously.

"I understand." he said, glancing at the two creations, who were still arguing about tea flavoring. Haru sighed and walked over to them.

"Look, you can argue about tea back at the Bureau." she said sternly, bringing the Creations' attention back to her.

"But-"

"It is an _outrage_ -"

"At. The. Bureau." Haru said. Both creations suddenly fell silent. Haru looked back at the bewildered monarchs. "We will be on our way now. See you soon." 

As Haru leaded the way out, Louise leaned close to Baron.

"You are right to like that girl," she murmured, only high enough for him to hear. A light blush raised to Baron's cheeks, but the Creation remained quiet all the way to the Bureau.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this is not my best work, but we don't really see Louise in the movie, so I can't be sure about how the Creation actually is. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed :)
> 
> REFERENCE TIME!  
> Catsafari (The Thre Barons-The Bureau Files) about the tea choices  
> My siblings for Louise and Baron's arguments


End file.
